On This Day in 2002: Paul McCartney Ties the Knot with Second Wife Heather Mills

On June 11, 2002, Paul McCartney married his second wife, Heather Mills. The wedding took place at St. Salvator Church in Glaslough, Ireland, and an elaborate reception was held afterward at nearby Castle Leslie.

McCartney was 59 years at the time of the wedding, while Mills was 34. The event was attended by more than 300 guests, among them Ringo Starr, Elton John, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, and former Squeeze keyboardist Jools Holland. Attendees were treated to a vegetarian banquet.

[RELATED: Getting Back on Tour: Paul McCartney to Play a Series of Concerts in South America This Fall]

During the reception, a song that the former Beatles star composed specially for his new bride called “Heather” was played. He later included the tune on his 2001 album, Driving Rain.

McCartney’s Romance with Mills

McCartney had met Mills at the Pride of Britain Awards ceremony in London in May 1999, about a year after his first wife, Linda, had died of breast cancer.

When she was younger, Mills had been a nude model, and was previously married and divorced. In 1993, she was hit and seriously injured by a police motorcycle that was speeding to an emergency call. Mills lost her lower left because of the accident.

She eventually launched her own charity, the Heather Mills Heath Trust, that helped provide prosthetic limbs to people who’d lost limbs in war-torn regions after stepping on land mines.

At the 1999 Pride of Britain Awards, McCartney talked with Mills about her charity and later made a substantial donation to it. In the fall of 1999, Mills and her sister, Fiona, recorded a song called “VO!CE” to raise money for her charity. In November of ’99, she and Fiona stayed at McCartney’s estate and he added vocals to the track.

McCartney and Mills made their first public appearance as a couple in January 2000, at a party on her 32nd birthday. In July 2001, McCartney proposed to Mills while the couple was vacationing in the U.K.’s Lake District. He gave her diamond and sapphire engagement ring that he’d bought in Jaipur, India, on a previous trip with her.

McCartney’s Marriage to Mills, and Their Divorce

McCartney wrote a number of songs inspired by Mills during their marriage, including “About You,” “Too Much Rain,” and “See Your Sunshine.” In October 2003, Mills gave birth to the couple’s only child together, a daughter named Beatrice.

Unfortunately, McCartney and Mills’ relationship soured, and they separated in May 2006. Mills was extremely unpopular in the U.K. press, and was the subject of many negative tabloid stories.

In the divorce, Mills initially asked for 125 million pounds, while McCartney offered 15.8 million pounds. A settlement was reached in February 2008, with Mills receiving 16.5 million pounds, plus assets of 7.8 million pounds. The total settlement came to 24.3 million pounds, which is equivalent to about $51 million in 2023. McCartney also was responsible for monthly payments for Beatrice and her nanny.